Ahmedabad, October 28: In view of the upcoming Diwali and Chhath Puja festivals, the Gujarat government on Thursday announced that the night curfew time in eight major cities will be relaxed by two hours for the next one month.

At present, night curfew is in force from midnight to 6 am in Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat, Vadodara, Jamnagar, Bhavnagar, Gandhinagar and Junagadh cities to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection.

From October 30 to November 30, night-time restrictions will be in force from 1 am to 5 am in these eight cities, a government release said. As per the new guidelines, commercial establishments including APMCs, shops and beauty salons in these eight cities can operate till 12 at night. Firecracker Ban in India Not Against Particular Festival; Ban Order Needs to be Followed Strictly, Says Supreme Court.

Restaurants can remain open till 12 at night with 75 per cent occupancy, while home delivery and take-away services too are permitted till midnight, the release stated.

Cinema halls can function with 100 per cent capacity in the entire state. Public gatherings on the occasion of Gujarati New Year should be held by strictly adhering to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for COVID-19 issued earlier, the government said.

Norms of social distancing and use of masks must be followed, it added.

Not more than 400 persons can gather at one place for the new year and Chhath Puja celebrations across the state, the government said.

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